Good Morning?
Lance Mackey (47) is on the trail beyond Shaktoolik, having left Unalakleet just after the chase arrived. Sebastian Schnuelle (34) and Jeff King (41) are again the pursuers with an ever widening gap between them.
There is vacation weather for the race this morning, i.e. it is time to find someplace to take a vacation that doesn’t have a 20 mph wind out of the North and a wind chill of -40° [which is the same temperature on everyone’s thermometer – too damn cold].
The trail to the coast has a crosswind and blowing snow to cover the trail, while those heading North have headwinds and frostbite in their future. The dogs love it.
Lance is just about out of the wind and will be enjoying a balmy -20° most of today. He is currently the only one on the course not affected by the wind.
Update: Apparently Kurt Reich (59)R and his dogs had a meeting at Don’s Cabin on the trail between Ophir and Iditarod and decided that -30° was not in the contract, so they went back to Ophir to scratch. Kurt and his dogs are from Colorado where it gets cold, but not COLD. His record indicates a really bad time around Rainy Pass and a drop off in speed afterwards.
2 comments
There is “vacation” weather in Alaska? 😉
cookie jill´s last blog post..Good Guide
Well, in the Spring, Summer, and Fall [AKA July, August, September] it’s really nice.